The Hunger Games Makeup Series, District 1.

Hey guys! To celebrate the release of the official Hunger Games movie trailer today, I started the first look in an ongoing series based on the Districts in The Hunger Games book series.

I'll be doing these in numerical order so first up first is District 1!

District 1 is all about luxury. They are the District responsible for producing jewelry, perfumes, & all beauty items for the Capitol. How fitting for a makeup look right? I pulled my inspiration from rich, jewel toned colors.

List of products I used

Face:

Revlon Colorstay Foundation in 110 Ivory
MAC Studio Finish concealer in NW20
Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder
MAC blush in Harmony
Aveda blush in Apricot

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk
Beauty From The Earth eyeshadow in 24K
Urban Decay eyeshadow in Ransom
Make Up For Ever eyeshadow in No. 92
Wet N' Wild "Blue Had Me At Hello" palette

Sally Girl glitter in Gold

NYX Eyeliner Pencil in Teal

Almay Liquid eyeliner in Black

Revlon Voluminous mascara

Lips:

Covergirl lip pencil in Nude
E.L.F. lipstick in Classy

Thanks for reading!

xo Lauren

All About Cleansers.

Hey guys,
I've been M.I.A. yet again but I do have some good news to bring with my return. I'm officially a licensed Esthetician! So to keep in the spirit of that, today's post is going to be all about cleansers.

Most people don't know that they need a certain type of cleanser for their skin type. Also, let me go ahead and stress the fact that you should NEVER use your normal body soap for your face. Let's get a little scientific for a minute...
Your skin has something called the acid mantle, which is it's protective barrier. Body soap has a high pH level, which makes it an alkaline, therefore stripping your skin of it's acid mantle. In short, a body soap is not chemically balanced enough for use on the face.
So here are a few tips for which cleanser you should use for your skin type.

Oily/Acne
If you have oily skin, there are a few things you need to look for in a cleansing product. Make sure that the cleanser you choose is going to be oil-free and it's better if it's a gel or foamy cleanser. Another good tip for oily skin is, after you've done your cleansing, give your skin a "cold rinse". A cold rinse, essentially, is just patting your face with cold water. This re-constricts your pores which helps reduce some of the oiliness.
For acne prone skin, a lot of the time, oily & acne products go hand in hand. It's much easier to find a cleanser for acne skin. Again, just make sure that it's oil-free and non-comedogenic (which means, it doesn't aggravate acne breakouts).
Here are a couple of cleansers I suggest:

Clean & Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser ($4.99 at most drug stores)
Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Oil-Free Acne Cleanser ($7.99 at most drug stores)
Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions Purifying Gel Cleanser ($10.00 at BurtsBees.com)
Clinique Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam ($18.50 at Sephora.com)
Aveda Outer Peace Foaming Cleanser ($27.00 at Aveda.com)

*Tip: Just because your face is oily DOES NOT mean you should wash it more often. Never wash your face more than twice a day. Overwashing your face damages it's protective barrier.


Dry Skin
Dry skin is the exact opposite of oily skin, obviously. Dry skin needs more oil so it's best to avoid any type of gel or foaming cleanser, those will just dry your skin out more. You should also try to avoid any cleanser with alcohol in it. Instead, look for a milky or cream cleanser. These types of cleansers remove excess oil and dirt without stripping your skin of it's natural oils. So, you should look for a creamy cleanser with either low or no alcohol content.
Some that I suggest:

L'oreal Advanced Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle Cream Cleanser ($6.99 at most drug stores)
Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser ($7.49 at most drug stores)
Burt's Bees Radiance Facial Cleanser ($10.00 at BurtsBees.com)
Lush 9 to 5 Cleanser ($19.95 at Lush.com)
Dermalogica Essential Cleansing Solution ($33.00 at Dermalogica.com)

*Tip: Never use hot water on your face, it will cause it to dry out more.


Sensitive
Sensitive skin is similar to dry skin in the products you will need to look for. Again, look for a creamy or milky cleanser because these are less harsh and drying than a foam or gel cleanser would be. Try to look for products that are fragrance free, Extra fragrances are a nice luxury but they are often the cause of allergic reactions. Also try to look for a cleanser that doesn't have alcohol & is hypoallergenic. (Note: Hypoallergenic just means that the product is LESS likely to cause a reaction, not that it is guaranteed not to.)
Some products I suggest:

Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser ($7.49 at most drug stores)
Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser ($7.49 at most drug stores)
Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleanser ($10.00 at BurtsBees.com)
Aveda All Sensitive Cleanser ($21.00 at Aveda.com)
Pevonia Sensitive Skin Cleanser ($28.50 at Pevonia.com)

*Tip: Less is more with sensitive skin. Have a simple skin care system of just a cleanser, a toner, & a moisturizer. Skip the serums and specialty creams, they will just make you overwork your sensitive skin.


Combo
First things first, you have to identify what type of combo skin you have. Is it both oily and dry? Dry and sensitive? After you've figured that out, figure out which areas on your face are which skin type. Sometimes it's necessary to use two different cleansers on the appropriate areas of your face. For example, if you are oily and dry, use a foamy cleanser on the oilier areas and a creamy cleanser on the dry areas.
Products I suggest:

Neutrogena Visibly Even Fomaing Cleanser ($6.50 at most drug stores)
Yes To Tomatoes Facial Cleanser ($9.99 at most drug stores)
Clinique Liquid Facial Soap ($16.00 at Sephora.com)
Korres Milk Foaming Cleanser ($21.00 at Ulta.com)
Pevonia Combination Skin Cleanser ($28.50 at Pevonia.com)

*Tip: Try using different products on different areas to find a mixture that's perfect for your skin.


Last but not least, I'm going to talk about the process of actually cleansing your skin.
1. You should be cleaning your face two times a day (once in the morning, once at night). No more and no less.
2. Each time you cleanse, you should wash your face with cleanser 2 times. The first time is to get the initial dirt and oil off of your face, the second is what actually gets your skin "clean".
3. Rather than splashing water on your face to rinse, use a microfiber facial towel. For more sensitive and dry skin, try using a piece of flannel. It works wonders!
4. Always use WARM water. Not hot, not cold.
5. Use a toner or astringent afterwards. This closes your pores and gets any traces of leftover cleanser off your face.
6. Use an appropriate moisturizer after cleansing.

I hope this helps! Thanks for reading!
xo Lauren.

Make Blue Eyes Pop. (Neutrals)

Hi guys!
I've been M.I.A. for a while now but I'm finally back.

Today's post is all about making your blue eyes pop. Blue eyes really look great paired with oranges, golds and warm browns. I've come up with two pretty simple makeup looks that anyone could do. Also, each of these looks kind of go off of each other. I started simple and just added a bit more to each look to make it transition from day to night.
*I don't have blue eyes, so you'll have to use your imagination a bit.

This first look is a super simple 3 step process. It's perfect for anyone who is in a hurry or someone who doesn't really like to wear much makeup. All I did was use a peachy colored eyeshadow primer all over my lid. Then I added some medium toned brown eyeliner to my upper lashline and waterline. Lastly, I threw on some dark brown mascara & I was done. So simple!

For the second look I already had a peach primer on so I added some gold eyeshadow on top of that. I took a medium, orange toned brown lightly into my crease. I also added just a little more eyeliner to darken it up more.

For this last look, I added a dark brown into the crease to deepen up the look. I also added more eyeliner to the upper lashline and put the same dark eyeshadow I used in the crease, on the lower lashline. I added a light champagne color into the inner corner of my eye to brighten that area up some. Lastly, I used black mascara as opposed to the dark brown to add a little more drama.


There are a ton of products on the market made for specific eye colors now. Here are a couple products that I recommend:

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin.
Urban Decay Naked Palette.
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Bourbon.
Aveda Petal Essence Single Eye Color in Lemon Spice.
Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Eye Enhancing Gel Liner for Blue Eyes.
Maybelline Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow Palette in Give Me Gold.
Maybelline ExpertWear Eyeshadow Palette in Sunlight Bronze and Chai Latte.
L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Black Brown.


Well, I hope this helps! If you try any of these looks, let me know!
Thanks for reading!
xo Lauren.

P.S. I'll be doing a post in the future about BRIGHT colors for blue eyes, stay tuned!

Zoya Nail Polish Review.

I've been wanting to try Zoya out for a while now. They had a special on Earth Day so I decided to go ahead and pick up a few polishes to try out.
Here is my experience with their company and product!

Shipping: 
So, I had a bit of a problem in this department but it was more of a customer service kind of issue than it was a shipping issue. I placed my order the day after the sale started. After two weeks, I noticed that they still hadn't charged my account for my order. After the first week, I wrote multiple times to the provided customer service email link with no response. I also tried the "live help" chat that was available but never got a response. Personally, I don't like to talk on the phone all that much but I ended up having to call the customer service line to ask them if my order went through. It so happened that I put in a wrong number when I was entering the credit card info, simple solution. The thing that bugged me was that they didn't try to contact me to let me know that the order couldn't be processed. It was settled quickly and easily but it was a bit of an annoyance to me. After it was all straightened out, my order was shipped and was in my mailbox in about 3 or 4 days. So that was a plus. Overall from the time I placed it, it took about 3 weeks for my order to be in my hands.


Pricing:
Their regular nail polishes are $8 but they run really great sales all the time. When I ordered, I got six polishes all at half price. So I got six for $24 plus shipping and handling. They also offer color spoons for $.50 each, which I think is an awesome idea if you're not sure about a color.

Product:
Despite my little customer service hang up, I am nothing but pleased with these polishes. They are really good quality. They offer a TON of different colors in different finishes and opacity. Here are the ones that I ended up getting.
* Swatches are two coats of polish and there are numbers underneath each nail plate so that you can kind of see the opacity of the polish.
*(Intensity = level of opacity. 1 being sheer - 5 being opaque)

Yummy: This is described on the Zoya site as a "robin's egg blue with a milky creme finish" with an intensity of 5, which I would definitely agree with. I don't have another nail polish that even comes close to matching this color. It was a little bit darker than I expected but I love it.

Yummy

Gretchen: This color is described as "light milky brown with neutral pink tint and warm clay undertones with a smooth creme finish" with an intensity of 3. This was the one color I was a little disappointed with. It was definitely a lot more of an orange brown than I expected it to be. I was looking for more of a neutral brown-pink. It's more on the sheer side but I think it would look nice on someone with a medium-dark skin tone.

Gretchen

Flora: This one is described as a "medium warm bubblegum pink in a soft looking creme base" with an intensity of 4. I really really liked this color but I think it's a bit more cool than warm and it's a little bit more of a dusty pink rather than a bubblegum pink. It's definitely a nice medium tone though.

Flora

Blair: This is described as a "cool blackened red with subtle hints of purple and smooth metallic shimmer" with an intensity of 5. I was so impressed with this color, it is beautiful and will be so great for the fall/winter! It's a really nice deep burgundy with a crazy shimmery/metallicy finish.

Blair

Mitzi: This is described as a "funky murky light yellow toned lime green creme with a vevlety matte finish" with an intensity of 5. This is by far my favorite color. It's a true acid green that you can wear matte or add a top coat to make it a nice shiny creme finish. Love love love this color!

Mitzi

Caprice: This one is described as a "very unusual shade of bright red-violet with plum and mauve undertones in a creme base" with an intensity of 3. This really isn't a super unique color but it's nice. I think their description is pretty accurate.

Caprice

Pros:

They have a really good amount of colors and finishes.
They have color spoons available.
They have tons of good sales.
The formulation of the polish is really good.

Cons:
Honestly I can say the only con was my experience with the little customer service issue.

Overall:

I really loved these polishes. They are just super quality, they wear nice, & the formulation is good. I think they are reasonably priced and they have so many color options that it's crazy. The website is very easy to use and I would definitely purchase from them again.

If you'd like to give them a try, you can place an order at http://www.zoya.com

Thanks for reading!

Lauren.

How To Choose Colors to Complement Your Eye Color

I've been asked countless times "Which colors should I wear to make my eyes pop?". So, I'm writing a blog to answer your questions!

First, the biggest reference for that would be the color wheel. Some people have a difficult time reading/understanding the color wheel so here's a brief explanation.

Each color on the color wheel has an opposite color, these are complementary to each other. For example, look at yellow. Directly across from yellow on the opposite side of the color wheel is violet, this means that violet is a complementary color to yellow & vise versa. So with that said, here are some tips and guidelines to making your eye color pop.

Blue:
The best shades for blues to really stand out are orange based colors. If you want to go bold use oranges or corals but if you're looking for something more on the neutral side, try a light peach, copper, or chocolate brown.

Green:
The complementary color for green is red. Now most people don't want to walk around in a bright red eyeshadow, so it's best to find colors with red undertones. Burgundy, wine, cranberry, & bronzes are excellent colors to use, even a deep chocolate brown could make an effect when used properly.

Brown:
Brown eyes can support any color really. You really have to take a look to see if your brown eyes have more of a gold or reddish undertone. Universal shades that work well on brown eyes are purples & blues. Golds can add a nice pop of color and brighten the eyes as well.

Hazel:
Hazel eyes can be pretty tricky. Hazel is a pleasant mixture of brown, gold, & green. Normally you wouldn't want to use an eyeshadow matching the eye color but it works well with hazel eyes. To make hazel eyes pop you could use golds, greens, & purples.


I'll be posting a separate blog for each of these. It will include products I suggest & different looks & techniques you could use to make your eyes look their best!

Thanks for reading!
Lauren.

Crown Brush Review.

Crown Brush is  company that sells various types of individual brushes, brush sets, displays, etc..
I placed an order with them a few months ago, this post will be reviewing my experience with them and their products.
They have different "collections" of brushes. I ordered from 4 different collections.

Shipping: I don't have the exact dates of when I ordered and when I received my order but I do remember that it seemed to take a while to process and ship out my order. I think the total shipping time was about 1.5-2 weeks, which isn't terrible at all. The company did send emails whenever they received, processed, & then shipped my order.

Pricing: The prices of the products range from around $20 to under $2, depending on which brush & which collection you choose from.

Product: I was skeptical at first that since their brushes were so inexpensive, the quality couldn't be but so high. I was wrong. After using these brushes for a while, I adore the majority of the brushes I ordered. On the other hand, there were some I wasn't very fond of. Overall, I am extremely happy with my purchases though.
Here's a list of what I ordered and a quick review on each of them.
(*the collection they are from)

C201 - Oval Foundation (*Studio)
Sadly, this is one of the brushes I did not like. It made my foundation streaky and it was super stiff. 

C250-1 Taklon Pointed Liner (*Studio)
This was the other brush I was not happy with. As soon as I used it, it completely lost it's pointed shape.

C219 - Deluxe Buffer (*Studio)
This is one of my new favorite face brushes. It's super dense and I use it to apply my foundation.

C406 - Large Duo Fiber Face (*Duo Fiber)
I  originally bought this for a foundation brush but it didn't work so well because it wasn't as dense as I'd hoped. However, it works fantastically as a blush brush.

C212 - Detailed Mini Chisel (*Studio)
This brush is amazing for under eye work with eyeshadows.  It's super small & soft.

S250-0 - Taklon Detail (*Backstage
I love this brush. It's tiny! It kept it shape perfectly after I used it and it's great for eyeliner & tight lining.

S217 - Round Crease (*Backstage)
This brush is really nice & dense. I love it for crease work.

S225 - Deluxe Shadow Crease (*Backstage)
I love love love this as a concealer brush, but didn't so much as an actual crease/blending brush. 

PP10 - Oval Concealer (*Perfectly Pink)
I don't particularly like this type of brush for concealer but I loved it for blending out cream products.

PP19 - Oval Lip (*Perfectly Pink)
 I loved this brush, my lips are really small so this worked really well to apply lipstick.

Pros:
These brushes are super affordable and really good quality.
They have a huge variety on the website. (Including both synthetic and animal hair brushes)
You can have your own label put on them.
They didn't really shed much on the first use.

Cons:
Some of the brushes don't have the name of the brush on the handle but some do.


Overall:
I am thoroughly impressed with both this company and their brushes. They have become a part of my every day makeup routine. I give them a 5/5 and I would definitely buy from them again.

If you'd like to give them a try, you can place an order at http://crownbrush.us/

Thanks for reading!
Lauren.

TKB Swatches!

So, here are swatches of all the TKB Trading products I ordered.
The top is the color swatched wet, the bottom is dry.
I didn't use a base for any of these.

Crucible Red

Chameleon Glitter

Copper Basics

Passion Orange

Vintage Blue

MyMix Champagne

Forged Gold

Purple Sparks

Ivory Lace

MyMix Blues

Holla Glow Glitter

MyMix Lipstick Base in Cupcake

Swatch of Cupcake

I can say that my two favorite are Forged Gold & Crucible Red. I'll be doing a look using a few of these soon.

Thanks for reading!

Lauren.

TKB Trading Review

TKB Trading is a company that sells ingredients that you'd use to make cosmetics. I've known about them for a while but recently I decided to give them a try & purchased a few of their micas, one lipstick base, & one glitter.

Shipping
The first thing I'll talk about is the shipping. I placed my order on March 18th, it was shipped on the 23rd, & it was in my mailbox on the 26th. So it took about a week total, which is pretty good in my opinion.

Pricing
Let me just start off by saying that this companies prices are ridiculous (in the good way).  The majority of their micas are priced like this:
Sample Size (which is said to be about 1tbsp.): $1.50
1 Ounce: $4.50
4 Ounces: $15.00
8 Ounces: $25.00
1 Pound: $46.00

The glitter was priced the same & the lipstick base was a bit cheaper because it was half off. (I got a sample size for $1.25) They also have different size sample kits available.

Product
The micas are packaged in bags, the lipstick base & glitter are packed in jars. I can say that, that is probably my only problem with the company. I wish micas were packaged in jars as well (at least for a sample size) but it's not a big deal since I can just put them in jars myself.

I ordered sample sizes of everything. When I was researching before I purchased, everything I found said that a sample size from this company was about 1 Tbsp of product. (Keep in mind, most companies samples sizes range from 1/4 - 1/2 tsp.)
BUT! I think it's WAY more than 1 Tbsp. The amount you get in these bags is amazing!

Mineral eyeshadows/micas are pretty similar in performance. These are really pigmented and it doesn't take much product to do the job. They are super easy to blend and some even have a really great metallic finish.

Pros:1. They are really affordable.
2. You get a massive amount of product for a lovely price.
3. There are a ton of color choices.
4. There are a ton of different product choices.
5. They do not use or condone animal testing.

Cons:1. Product comes in baggies.
2. The website doesn't have swatches for all the micas, so you have to kind of wing it.
3. There is a $13.00 minimum requirement.


OverallI would definitely give this company and my experience with them thus far a 5/5. I'll definitely be purchasing from them again as well. Later this week, I'll do a blog post with swatches of everything I ordered.

If you want to give them a try, you can place an order at http://www.tkbtrading.com/

Thanks for reading!
Lauren.

A Black Tie Affair Nails.

List of products used
Beauty Secrets base coat
Revlon Scented Parfum Nail Polish in #300 Cotton Candy
L.A. Colors Art Deco Nail Lacquer in black
OPI Nail Polish in Black Onyx
L.A. Colors Art Deco Nail Lacquer in silver
OPI Nail Polish in Rockette Red
Sally Hansen Nail Polish in Celeb City
Beauty Secrets top coat

Link for a tutorial on how to do this nail art: click here!

Tools of the Trade: Foundation.

Hey guys!
I've had my fair share of foundation faux pas over the years, especially when I was first learning about make up. I've had it cakey, streaky, splotchy, uneven, etc..
So this blog post is about the different ways to apply foundation, maybe I can help someone who's had problems applying their foundation.

Liquid Foundations

Sponges.
Sponges are pretty good for cream foundations, but not so much a liquid. First off, sponges aren't very sanitary, they are only good for one use. They are porous so they gather and hold bacteria very quickly. That also means that they absorb more product than desired. They don't really provide an even coverage application, it tends to come out really streaky. However, sponges are fantastic for blending out any foundation streaks you've got after applying it with a brush.


Flat Foundation Brush.
The flat foundation brush is a really good option, but it can be tricky. You have to get a pretty good quality brush for it to work well. Sometimes they can streak pretty bad, especially if they aren't cleaned properly or cleaned on a regular basis. Also, the natural hair versions apply foundation a lot better than the synthetic versions but they absorb a lot more product as well. They are better for getting into the small areas of your face (like around the nose or under the eyes.).

Flat Top Buffer/Duo Fiber Brush.
These brushes are awesome for applying foundation. You have the option to either stipple or buff foundation into the skin. They give a more even coverage with minimum streaking. It takes a little practice to get the technique down but once you do, your foundation looks so much better. They probably aren't the best for someone who doesn't have a lot of time to spend on their foundation in the mornings or whenever you need to apply it, but it's the best method in my opinion.

Fingers and Hands.
A free and useful option is to use your hands, just be sure that they are clean. It's a good, quick way to get your foundation on. It can be streaky but if you don't have anything else, you have that. There are some foundations (at least, that I've found) that actually just work better when you use your hands to put it on. It warms up the product so that it glides a bit more easily onto your skin.

Powder or Mineral Foundations

Kabuki Brush.

If you're a mineral makeup wearer, than the kabuki brush should be your best friend. It's the tried and true best way to apply any type of powder or mineral foundation. It gives a super quick and even application. It's also good for buffing out blush if you happen to apply too much. However, I wouldn't use it for a setting powder over foundation because it tends to make your foundation look cakey. Other than that, it's a great option for any other type of powder foundation product.

Foundation is an important part of any make up look., it's the "canvas". If you don't have a nice looking base, it throws off the balance of the overall makeup application. So, I hope this helped anyone who's had problems with their foundation. If you decide to try something new, let me know how it goes.

Thanks for reading!
Lauren.

Aveda Balancing Infusion for Dry Skin

I re-discovered one of the most amazing products I've ever had recently. Like I said in my dry mask post, I have horribly dry skin during the winter and I've tried so many different things to "heal" it some but nothing really did the trick. I stumbled upon my bottle of Aveda Balancing Infusion for dry skin the other day and decided that I'd see if that helped any. It was AMAZING.

So, here's what the Aveda website says about it.

Our highly-concentrated blend of pure flower and plant essences helps rehydrate skin and normalize the production of natural lubricants. Contains patchouli and ylang ylang oils to help soothe, jasmine to help energize and plant ceramides to help moisturize.

• Helps revitalize and restore balance to dry, stressed skin
• For normal to dry skin

It's an oil that you add to your moisturizer and it gives an extra boost of hydration.
I add two drops to two pumps of my Aveda "All Sensitive" moisturizer and it has helped my skin so much. My biggest problem areas were my cheeks, they were constantly dry and flaky no matter how much moisturizer I used. I tried exfoliating and it did practically nothing. Once I used the Balancing Infusion the dryness was gone immediately.

This was a miracle worker on my cuticles as well. Because of how often my hands are in water at school, my cuticles get really dried out and start to crack. I put some of the Balancing Infusion on them just to see what happened and literally the next day the dryness and cracks were completely gone. I was so surprised. Also, I've been using it every single day (which is two drops for my moisturizer, two drops for each hand, & two drops for each foot) and I haven't even put a dent in it so it lasts for a really long time.

They have other formulas of the product for sensitive & oily/acne skin as well, though I can't really speak for them since I've never tried those.
It retails for $21.00 at Aveda.com or at an Aveda store.

If you've tried it, let me know what you think! If not and you have dry skin, try it out, it's fantastic.

Thanks for reading!
Lauren

Valentine's Day Makeup Look!

Products I used
Face:
L'oreal True Match Foundation in C1
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20
Makeup Forever Camouflage Concealer Palette
NYC Translucent Powder
Physician's Formula Happy Booster Blush

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion (Original)
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Strawberry Milk
Coastal Scents 88 Palette
Estee Lauder eyeshadow in Sand Dollar
Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Cream Liner in Black (The brown eyes set)
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner Pencil in Zero
L'oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black

Lips:
Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Born With It
Milani 3D Glitzy Glamour Gloss in Fashion Diva